Shanghai food workers to be certified

Everyone from your local dumpling lady to the waimai man will soon have to be certified in food safety.

Announced by the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration on October 11, the government agency is looking to implement food safety training for everyone in the industry. Covering all workers from sales to home delivery, the requirement is slated to go into practice at the end of this year.

They will then be tested either through an online or in-person exam, which they can retake if they fail. However, fail three times and they would have to wait a year to try again. The FDA will also conduct random checks on workers.

Under these new rules, businesses can be fined up to ¥50,000 or lose their license if their workers don’t attend training or sit for exams. Current food safety laws require all businesses to have a Catering Services License, which assesses their hygiene, an environment assessment, which covers waste disposal, and health certificates for all staff.